Director, Project Management Office

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of the Project Management Office (PMO) provides enterprise-wide leadership to ensure NCOA’s strategic initiatives are executed with clarity, discipline, and measurable impact. Reporting directly to the Chief of Staff, this role is responsible for establishing, leading, and continuously improving NCOA’s PMO to align strategy, operations, and outcomes across the organization.

The Director of PMO will work closely with the Economic Wellbeing Strategist and the Healthy Aging Strategist to translate strategic priorities into executable portfolios, ensure cross-functional coordination, and drive progress on high-impact initiatives that advance NCOA’s mission to improve the health and economic security of older adults.

Positions at this level typically report to a senior director or executive leader and require advanced knowledge, experience, and management capabilities. They represent the organization externally and are required to exercise latitude and independent judgement with broad scope and minimal oversight.  Incumbents generally have eight or more years of experience in their discipline and a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, as well as substantive experience at this level.

COMPETENCIES AND EXPECTATIONS

• Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem solving situations; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Interpersonal Skills - Demonstrates emotional intelligence in interactions and collaboration with others; listens actively and respectfully without interrupting; remains open to feedback and new perspectives; manages conflict constructively; builds trust through empathy, discretion, and respectful engagement – even under pressure.
• Business Acumen - Understands business implications of decisions and profitability; demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; aligns work with strategic goals.
• Ethics - Treats people with respect; works with integrity; upholds organizational values; avoids actual or perceived conflicts of interest. 
• Judgment - Displays willingness to make decisions; exhibits sound and accurate judgment; supports and explains reasoning for decisions; includes appropriate people in decision-making process; makes timely decisions.
• Planning/Organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; plans for additional resources; sets goals and objectives; organizes or schedules other people and their tasks; develops realistic action plans.
• Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; reacts well under pressure; treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; accepts responsibility for own actions; follows through on commitments.
• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the development and operation of an enterprise PMO that supports organizational strategy, prioritization, and execution
• Oversee NCOA’s portfolio of strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, timelines, and resources
• Establish and maintain standardized project management methodologies, tools, and governance structures
• Provide executive-level visibility into initiative status, risks, dependencies, and outcomes
• Partner with senior leaders to scope, launch, and deliver complex, cross-functional initiatives
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and with clear measures of success and impact
• Champion the use of ASANA our primary tool used for project management

Strategic Leadership

• Translate organizational strategy into an integrated, actionable roadmap across programs, policy, research, and operations
• Advise the Chief of Staff and executive leadership on sequencing, capacity, and tradeoffs across strategic initiatives
• Serve as a connective leader across departments to reduce silos and enable coordinated execution
• Support strategy implementation efforts led by the Economic Wellbeing Strategist and Healthy Aging Strategist by ensuring operational rigor and delivery discipline

Innovation and Partnership Development

• Identify and implement innovative project management approaches that enhance agility, collaboration, and learning
• Support cross-sector partnerships by ensuring clear governance, roles, milestones, and accountability structures
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to manage joint initiatives, pilots, and demonstrations
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, experimentation, and adaptive learning within project teams

Research, Policy, and Impact

• Partner with research and policy teams to ensure initiatives are grounded in evidence and aligned with NCOA’s policy and advocacy goals
• Integrate impact measurement and learning into project design and execution
• Support the translation of research and policy priorities into actionable initiatives with clear deliverables
• Ensure projects contribute to measurable outcomes that advance equity, health, and economic wellbeing for older adults

Leadership and Culture

• Build and lead a high-performing PMO function that models collaboration, accountability, and service-oriented leadership
• Coach and support project managers and cross-functional teams in effective execution and change management
• Foster a culture of transparency, shared ownership, and results-driven work
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders and staff navigating complex organizational change

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree in public administration, business, public health, or a related field preferred
• Project Management Professional (PMP) required
• 8–10+ years of progressive experience in project, program, or portfolio management, including leadership of complex, cross-functional initiatives
• Demonstrated experience building or leading a PMO or equivalent enterprise-wide execution function
• Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to operationalize vision into results
• Excellent communication skills, with experience presenting to and advising senior executives

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Mission-driven leader with experience in nonprofit, public sector, healthcare, or social impact organization
• Local to NCOA office and operates on a hybrid schedule two days a week
• Comfortable operating in complexity and ambiguity while driving clarity and execution
• Skilled at influencing without authority and aligning diverse stakeholders around shared goals
• Adept at balancing rigor with flexibility in fast-moving, mission-focused environments
• Passionate about advancing health, economic security, and equity for older adults

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Frequently required to sit or use a standing desk. 
• Occasionally required to walk. 
• Occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. 
• Frequently required to talk or listen. 
• Occasionally required to bend, lift, or climb stairs.
• Occasionally required to lift light weights (less than 25 pounds).

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The noise level in the work environment usually is moderate.